In recent years, electric appliances, such as ovens, dishwashers, washing machines, and other household appliances have included increasingly sophisticated control circuitry programmed by the manufacturer to implement various functions. The user interface to such control circuitry often includes a printed circuit board configured to couple to the control interface. However, over time, such circuit boards are prone to failure. In particular, heat, humidity, excessive pressure applied by the user, and other factors may cause such boards to fail.
Repair of an appliance with a failed circuit board may require replacement of the entire control panel, which includes the circuit board and the touch panel. To support service and repair, manufacturers must maintain an inventory of replacement parts.
Further, each appliance has its own user interface, and has its own control circuit configured to operate with the user interface. Typically, the manufacturer must maintain an inventory of replacement parts for each model and for each controller. Since manufacturers frequently introduce new models, the inventory of replacement parts may be very large. As models are discontinued, the replacement parts may also be discontinued, forcing appliance owners to replace their appliances rather than repairing them.